VCE PE
The Cardiovascular system
Unit 1. Key knowledge (cardiovascular and
respiratory systems)

The structure and function of the heart and
lungs

Mechanics of breathing, gaseous exchange and
blood vessels

Blood flow around the body at rest and during
exercise
Unit 1. Key skills

Perform, measure and report on changes to the
cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular
systems at rest compared to exercise

Collect, analyse and report on primary data
related to responses to exercise and anaerobic
and aerobic pathways
Introductory video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hozds
DFrNpY
2:26 until 2:50
 12:45 until 14:32

5 important functions of the
circulatory system
Delivers oxygen to working muscles
 Oxygenates blood by returning it to the
lungs
 Transports or preserves heat between
the core and the skin
 Delivers nutrients and fuel to active
tissues
 Transports hormones

Anatomy of the heart
Anatomy of the heart
Anatomy of the heart
Outline all features including flow of blood
through heart
 A for Artery takes the blood Away from the
heart
 Be careful as it’s often taught the arteries
only carry oxygenated blood and veins carry
deoxygenated blood, however there is one
exception: the pulmonary artery carries
deoxygenated blood from the heart to the
lungs

Anatomy of the heart
Quick Activity
Have a blank heart diagram blown up on an
A4 or A3 piece of paper. Stick it on the
whiteboard and draw around it a human body.
outline Then recap with student assistance
where the blood flows through the heart and
body, mapping it on the board as you work
Blood vessels
Quick activity
Ask students if they can
name any of the blood
vessels and create a mind
map of their answers
Blood vessels

Arteries- blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart
towards a peripheral capillary

Arterioles- A small arterial branch that delivers blood to a
capillary network

Capillary- A small blood vessel located between an arteriole
and a venule, whose thin wall permits the transfer of gases,
nutrients and wastes

Venule- Thin-walled veins that receive blood from the
capillaries

Vein- A blood vessel carrying blood from a capillary bed
toward the heart
Blood vessels
Effects of exercise
Quick activity
Ask students to volunteer what happens to their
bodies when they exercise. Create another
mind map of their answers. Once completed
underline or circle any changes they have
noticed that occur directly or indirectly because
of the circulatory system. Then introduce the
topic.
Once the topic is completed, refer back to the
mind map and see if they can explain why these
things happen and what has causes it.
Effects of exercise


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9IuSc
5qqTs
From start
Effects of exercise

Heart rate
◦ Resting rate of 60-80 beats per minute in the healthy adult, the increase
is in direct proportion to the intensity of the exercise

Stroke volume
◦ Is the amount of blood pumped from the left ventricle each beat,
generally 50-70mL/beat
◦ It responds proportionately to the intensity of exercise, and during
intense activity can reach 110-130mL/beat

Cardiac output
◦ Amount of blood in mL pumped by the heart in one minute, responds
proportionately to exercise intensity
◦ At rest approx 5mL/minute, during intense exercise can rise to 2040mL/minute
Effects of exercise

Blood flow
◦ Blood flow is redirected to the tissues with the greatest demand
◦ At rest 15-20% of circulating blood supplies skeletal muscle. During
vigorous exercise this increases to 80-85% of cardiac output

Blood pressure
◦ During rest, typical systolic blood pressure ranges from 110-140mmHg
and 60-90mmHg for diastolic blood pressure
◦ Systolic pressure can increase up to 200mmHg, while diastolic remains
relatively unchanged

Blood
◦ During exercise the body takes more oxygen from the blood, so blood
returning to the heart in veins contains less oxygen than it ordinarily
would
Useful resources





BBC: Human Body and Mind, Body Systems
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody
How Stuff Works: Body Systems
http://health.howstuffworks.com/humanbody/systems
Inner Body: Body Systems
www.innerbody.com/htm/body.html
Sports Fitness Adviser: Physiology
www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/exercisephysiology.html
Inside the Human Body BBC series, can access on
Youtube